At the ISTE 2026 conference, elementary learning platform Seesaw Learning introduced new artificial intelligence tools for teachers. The company designed these features to address demand for active screen time, stronger family communication, and simpler classroom workflows. As schools face digital tool fatigue, tech providers must prove their software saves time without compromising student data privacy.
What Happened
During the conference, Seesaw demonstrated how its platform supports multimodal learning and early literacy. As we previously reported, educators want active, meaningful digital experiences rather than passive consumption. Seesaw aims to address this by positioning itself as a daily classroom workflow tool.
The central feature is "Seesaw AI," which the company positions as an assistant for teachers rather than a replacement. According to the Seesaw Teacher Portal, educators can use an "AI Wizard" to generate worksheets, lessons, and quizzes. The system can also automatically generate quizzes based on embedded YouTube videos to check student comprehension. For administrative tasks, teachers can use an AI Messages Assistant to draft messages to families, including communications about sensitive student behavior. Seesaw, which won the 2025 CODiE Award Winner for Best Education Platform, states these features comply with school district privacy standards.
The Bigger Picture
Research indicates that technology can support academic achievement for young learners. A ScienceDirect meta-analysis of 30 randomized trials showed that technology-based reading interventions provide small-to-moderate improvements in reading outcomes, with an effect size of 0.35, for struggling elementary students. Digital tools can also perform better than paper alternatives for writing development. A study in the Proceedings of the 2025 Conference on Education and E-Learning found that students using electronic portfolios achieved higher writing scores and stronger self-efficacy than those using traditional pen-and-paper portfolios.
However, these benefits can increase demands on school staff. A systematic review in the Huele Journal of Applied Linguistics found that implementing digital portfolios increases teacher workloads due to technical issues, digital literacy gaps, and the time required to provide multimodal feedback.
At the same time, the expansion of AI in classrooms faces regulatory rules. Under the Federal Trade Commission's amended COPPA rules, which took effect on April 22, 2026, school tech vendors must obtain separate, verifiable parental consent before sharing children's personal information with third parties for AI model training. This rule defines voiceprints and facial templates as protected personal information. In addition, as noted by Beni Education, student-generated work is classified as an "education record" under FERPA. This means schools cannot share essays or projects with AI vendors without explicit agreements that keep the vendor under the direct control of the district. State-level laws modeled after California's SOPIPA also ban the sale or profiling of student data, according to the 2026 Student Privacy Guide.
What This Means for Families
For parents, these developments mean classrooms are more interactive, but digital footprints are also growing. Seesaw’s tools can help teachers communicate more frequently and customize assignments. However, parents need to monitor whether their children's audio recordings, drawings, and writings are used to train corporate AI models. Under current laws, families retain control over how this biometric and academic data is processed.
What You Can Do
- Ask your district about AI data agreements: Confirm that your school’s contract with Seesaw and other EdTech vendors prohibits the use of student work for AI model training under FERPA regulations.
- Inquire about teacher workloads: Ask your child's teacher if managing digital portfolios reduces direct instruction time, and support school policies that provide teachers with technical training.
- Review your privacy consent forms: Look closely at school permission slips to ensure you do not accidentally opt your child into third-party AI data sharing under the updated COPPA requirements.